Married To The Mum-To-Be. Helen Lacey

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СКАЧАТЬ The O’Sullivan coffers were compounding every day. He had wealth and success and a job that continued to be challenging, and the only thing missing from his life was a family of his own.

      A wife. A child.

      Kayla was his wife. And she might be carrying his child.

      Longing, raw and intense, seeped through his blood. He’d never been in love before. He’d never experienced the heavy ache in his chest that he felt when he was away from her.

      He’d lived an entitled life, one of wealth and of little struggle. The one painful point was his sister’s death... Before that it had been easy street. But loving Kayla was changing him completely. He didn’t want to upset her, hurt her or see her struggle with her divided loyalties...especially when he knew there was more pain to come. Despite their agreed-upon deadline for telling their parents their secret, ultimately he had no real idea what he would do when that time was up. Of course, he could tell his own parents first and then deal with the fallout, forcing Kayla into action. But he wasn’t sure how he could do that without hurting the woman he loved.

      Liam got to his feet and stretched his shoulders again. His office was on the second floor and from the long window behind his desk he had a view of the entire length of Main Street. The town, with its population of a few thousand, had one set of traffic lights, shop fronts that were both old and new, and well-maintained sidewalks. Until six months ago there had been two towns, separated by a river and a bridge. But after ten years of negotiating, the towns had merged, unified by the need to pool resources and create a stronger, more viable economy, taking advantage of commuters passing through the town on their way toward the state line. Cedar River was an old copper and silver mining town and Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills were within driving distance, so the town had plenty to offer tourists. The O’Sullivan portfolio of land and commercial property was vast, and Liam was proud of everything his father and grandfather had done since settling in the area sixty years earlier. His father, John-Dexter—or J.D. as he was known—had retired several years ago, handing the reins to Liam full-time, but still liked to show his face around the hotel. Liam didn’t mind, since he got on well with his dad and hoped that one day he’d have a son or daughter who would follow in his own footsteps. That day suddenly seemed like a real possibility. And he was happy. Foolishly happy, despite the turmoil churning through his head.

      His cell rang, cutting through his thoughts. It was his mother, reminding him that he’d agreed to meet with her to discuss several upcoming charitable events in town—including the hospital benefit that was being held at the art gallery in a couple of weeks. He’d been working on the project with Kayla, and not only would it raise much-needed funds for the hospital, but it would give several of the local artists an opportunity to showcase their work and he knew that it was important to her.

      Liam shut down his laptop, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed downstairs to the foyer and reception desk. The restaurant and bar were off to the left and even though it was early, it looked like there was already a good crowd inside. There were other pubs in town, like Rusty’s or the newly opened Loose Moose tavern. But O’Sullivan’s was different—the modern decor was complemented by a traditional Irish feel and was accompanied by exemplary service and great food.

      He spotted his mother the moment he stepped through the elevator. Gwen O’Sullivan was a tall, statuesque woman in her late fifties with short silvery hair and a timeless style she’d gained as a model in her youth. She was quiet and reserved, the total opposite of her blustery, well-meaning but often misunderstood husband. Liam knew he was more like his mother than his brothers. Sean, a movie producer in LA, was confident and brash and an admitted womanizer. Liam doubted his youngest brother would ever settle down and ditch his fast life. Kieran, who was a doctor at a hospital in Sioux Falls, was a well-balanced sort of man with a positive outlook on pretty much everything, despite a messy divorce a year earlier. As he looked at his mother he was reminded of Liz, his sister, who’d died three years ago.

      Liz and his mom had been close and he knew his mother grieved deeply for the daughter she’d lost. At times there was a hollowness to his mother’s expression that seemed unable to be healed by anything, except perhaps the time she spent with her grandchildren, Liz’s three young daughters. But his sister’s husband, Grady, had recently remarried and he knew his mother worried that she wouldn’t see the girls as much. However, despite the fact that he’d never much liked Grady Parker and didn’t believe the horse rancher was good enough for Liz, Liam had to admit that the other man was a caring father and tried to ensure his daughters maintained a relationship with Liz’s family. It was complicated stuff. Made more so by the fact that Grady’s new wife had been Liz’s best friend since high school. Liam didn’t believe anything had been going on before Liz’s death, and he didn’t really hold a grudge that Grady had moved on. He just...he just missed his sister. Liz had shown little interest in the O’Sullivan fortune or business and had thrived on her ranching life, her husband and children. In a way, Liam had admired Liz for her steely determination to live her life exactly how she wanted.

      “There you are,” his mother said and greeted him with a brief hug. “Shall we talk over a drink?”

      Liam checked his watch. Four forty. Not too early in the day, pushing down the niggling thought that his mother used alcohol to numb her pain at times. “Sure.”

      They headed into the bar and sat down at a booth. Liam ordered his mother a wine spritzer and a club soda with lime for himself. As much as he felt like getting wasted to get all thoughts of Kayla from his mind, the night manager didn’t clock on until five and he had a strict rule about alcohol consumption while on duty.

      “So,” his mother said once their drinks arrived. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you?”

      Liam frowned. “I thought you wanted to talk about the charity schedule?”

      “No,” she said quietly. “That can wait. I want to talk about you. I’m worried about you.”

      Liam groaned inwardly. He should have seen this coming. Gwen O’Sullivan seemed to have some kind of built-in radar when it came to her offspring. The fact that Sean and Kieran lived elsewhere meant her attention was generally focused on him. Most days he could laugh it off, but today he wasn’t in the mood for any kind of heart-to-heart with his well-meaning parent. “I’m fine.”

      She shook her head. “No, you’re not. I know something’s been bothering you.”

      “Stop smothering me, Mom,” he said gently, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I assure you, I’m fine.”

      She didn’t look convinced, but smiled and drank some wine. Then she met his gaze levelly. “There’s more to life than work, you know. More to life than this hotel.”

      Liam raised a brow. “Tell that to Dad.”

      “At least your father took the time to get married and raise a family,” she reminded him. “Unlike you and your brothers. When Kieran got married I thought that at least one of my boys had the good sense to settle down. But then there was that awful divorce and everything else. And Sean just moves from one flighty woman to the next. And then there’s you...my sensible son, who doesn’t let anyone in.”

      It wasn’t true. He’d let Kayla in. Into his life and into his heart. Unfortunately, most days he felt as though she was walking all over it. Liam sat back in his seat and half smiled. “You know, I think we have this same conversation every six months or so.”

      “Then it’s time you took notice,” she said, still frowning. “You’re nearly thirty-five years old. It’s time you settled down, got married and had children. We need grandchildren to carry on the family name, after all. СКАЧАТЬ